Crimes Against Humanity: Deadly Denial

Originally posted at Maggie's Notebook

The Guardian's Claudia Webbe is clearly upset at Prime Minister Tony Blair's stance on, in Blair's words, the:

"...gang culture that is killing innocent young black kids...."

GuardianUnlimited reports that Blair is taking advantage of his last few days and weeks as Prime Minister. Blair admitted to:

"lurching into total frankness."

The PM directly addressed the citizenry calling:

"...on black people to lead the fight against knife crime."

Ms. Webbe characterized the citizenry as:

"...a willing audience of, mainly, white faces..."

Ms. Webbe does not affirm or deny that black children are dying at the hands of Black gangs. Instead, she refers to a report that says:

"...a significant minority of vulnerable children and young people, disproportionate numbers of whom are black, were suffering from negative outcomes and outputs and endure high levels of exclusions, and that service provision was not good enough."

So, Ms. Webbe does not deny that young, black children, as well as non-black children, are dying at the hands of gangs, or someone. Prime Minister Blair, as paraphrased by The Guardian, says that the spate of London murders

"was not being caused by poverty, but a distinctive black culture."

and...

He said people had to drop their political correctness and recognise that the violence would not be stopped:

"by pretending it is not young black kids doing it".

The Home Office Minister, Lady Scotland, disagrees with Blair and says the:

"...disproportionate number of black youths in the criminal justice system was a function of their disproportionate poverty, and not to do with a distinctive black culture.

So, is Lady Scotland saying that the murders are not due to Black gangs murdering Black children, as well as non-Black children?

Claudia Webbe says:

"The prime minister is wrong to assert or imply that this is a "black problem": the bullet does not discriminate in its effect, and neither is the black community responsible for the manufacture, supply and importation of dangerous weapons."

Ms. Webbe clearly does not deny or affirm that the gangs are comprised of those from the Black community. She blames the murders on the bullets, and not only that, she denies that Blacks work in the industries that may produce the bullets, the weapons - no one Black is to blame. She doesn't state that knives are at fault, or those working in industries which manufacturer knives.

This post is not about race; it is about denial; insert Hispanic Gang, White gang, Skin-head Gang, Islamic Jihad, Pro-Life terrorist, Pro-Abortion terrorist, Green Terrorist - they are all terrorists. To deny it is foolish and self-destructive.

To be fair to Ms. Webbe, she asserts that the Black Community has:

"...not been silent in its condemnation and fight against the UK's history of violence."

I have much empathy for those living in crime-ridden communities, with no way out, who have the gumption to stand-up and fight back, if only by persistently notifying authorities. It is not a desirable way of life - in fact, it is undeniably a nightmare. She points to a successful community program (apparently from 2000):

Operation Trident is a clear example of community mobilisation and our preparedness to stand up to the "men of violence".

The issue is, of course, who are the current men and/or women of violence? Are they Black gang members, White gang members, or is it Islamic terrorism? Come, come now, don't be a denier. In the here and now, around the world, it is also Islamic Jihad terrorism. In the streets of London at any given moment it may be some gang culture, of some color, Black, White or in between; and it is, assuredly, Islamic Jihad, as well. Ms. Webbe's heated characterization of Tony Blair's words, as well as the title of her article:

"A kick in the teeth"

is about one micro-enth, or less, of the intensity of my feelings, and the feelings of many others, about Islamic terrorism - as well as gang violence.

It is the deniers that allow the holocaust of whatever measure. Ms. Webbe asserts in the sub-heading of her article:

"The black community carries no blame for the violent crime that afflicts it - no matter what the prime minister says."

I, of course, have no first hand knowledge of gang culture in London. I do have a keen sense of words, however, and in hers I find no denial of the gang members, of which Blair spoke, being Black.

It's not about race or color, it's about crimes against humanity.

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